SongLark
Bird call
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) call
A harsh, croaking 'fraaank!', usually in flight; a tall grey bird standing still in shallow water.
Listen to the Grey Heron call
A field recording of the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) by Alison JC Brown, shared on iNaturalist. Listen for the Grey Heron in wetland habitats.
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Sounds similar
Birds that sound similar to the Grey Heron
These birds belong to the heron family, like the Grey Heron, so their calls can sound alike.
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Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
A harsh, croaking frahnk given when flushed.
Questions
Questions about the Grey Heron
What does the Grey Heron sound like?
A harsh, croaking 'fraaank!', usually in flight; a tall grey bird standing still in shallow water. Listen to the recording above.
Which birds sound like the Grey Heron?
The Great Blue Heron sounds similar.
Where can I hear the Grey Heron?
SongLark teaches it in its Birds of England course.
How can I learn the Grey Heron call?
In SongLark's Birds of England course, it comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. SongLark teaches it by ear with real field recordings.
Courses
Learn this call in
SongLark teaches the Grey Heron in its Birds of England course. Each course plays real field recordings and brings every bird back for review just before you would forget it.
- In Birds of England, the Grey Heron comes in Level 6: Water & Coast. That Level is about park lakes, rivers and the seashore.
Learn it with these birds in Level 6 of Birds of England
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Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
The classic duck's 'quack-quack-quack', loud and descending from the female; drakes give soft, rasping notes.
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Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Mostly quiet; snorts and hisses on the water, and a loud, throbbing hum from its wings in flight.
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Canada Goose Branta canadensis
A loud, honking 'ah-honk', given in noisy chorus from flocks on park lakes and in flight.
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Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
A sharp, explosive 'kowk' or 'pik'; a black waterbird with a white face shield.
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Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
A loud, whinnying trill, like a horse laughing, from a small dumpy bird on ponds and slow rivers.
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Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
A harsh, screeching 'kraaar' from noisy flocks on lakes, fields and coasts.
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European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
The seaside's loud, laughing 'kyow-kyow-kyow' and long calls, now also on town rooftops.
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Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
A loud, piercing 'kleep-kleep-kleep', often in excited piping duets along the shore.
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Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
A rising, bubbling 'cour-lee' that gives it its name, haunting over moors and estuaries.
Get SongLark
Learn Grey Heron in SongLark
Install SongLark, sign in, and choose a course that teaches the Grey Heron.
- Your first course is free. When you first sign in, you choose one course to keep.
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